The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to connectors that optically communicate signals using optical fibers.
Some known optical connectors include optical fibers that are provided in a plug connector. The optical fibers extend to mating ends that are held by a plug end of the plug connector. The plug connector mates with a receptacle connector to permit optical communication of signals therebetween using the optical fibers. The receptacle connector may include a transceiver that mates with the ends of the optical fibers to permit the plug connector and receptacle connector to communicate with one another.
The plug connectors may include coupling components, such as threaded nuts, bayonet-style connectors, or push/pull connectors, that engage the receptacle connectors to secure the plug and receptacle connectors with one another. The engagement between the plug connector and the receptacle connector advances the ends of the optical fibers in the plug connector through an opening along an upper end of the receptacle connector and into the receptacle connector toward the transceiver. The plug connector may advance the ends of the optical fibers a fixed distance. In some connectors, the engagement between the plug and receptacle connectors mates the optical fibers with the transceiver by abutting the ends of the fiber optic cables against the transceiver. But, due to variances in the manufacture or assembly of the receptacle connectors and/or devices, the location of the transceiver in the receptacle connector may vary.
If the transceiver is located too far toward the upper end of the receptacle connector, the engagement between the plug connector and the receptacle connector may advance the ends of the optical fibers too far. For example, the ends of the optical fibers may be overdriven and forced up against the transceiver by an amount sufficient to damage the ends of the optical fibers. While some known receptacle connectors have some tolerance to account for variability of the location of the transceiver relative to the receptacle connector, the tolerance in known connectors may be too small to avoid overdriving the optical fibers. The overdriving of and damage to the optical fibers may impact the integrity of the signals communicated between the plug and receptacle connectors.
In some optical connectors, pulling on the cable rear of the optical connector may decouple the plug connector from the receptacle connector. For example, applying a rearward force on the cable of the plug connector in directions away from the receptacle connector may pull the ends of the optical fibers away from the receptacle connector. Additionally, if the rearward force is sufficiently large, the cable may be pulled out of the plug connector and render the plug connector inoperable. Some known plug connectors include an internal plug housing that receives the cable and holds the optical fibers and an external coupling nut or ferrule that mates with the receptacle connector to secure the plug connector with the receptacle connector. The plug housing is located within the coupling nut. A rear end of the coupling nut may include an opening large enough to receive the cable but small enough to prevent rearward removal of the plug connector from the coupling nut. As a result, the plug housing engages the rear end of the coupling nut when a rearward force is applied to the cable. But, the engagement or interference between the rear end of the coupling nut and the connector housing may be insufficient to prevent separation between ends of the optical fibers that are held by the plug housing and the receptacle connector. For example, some rearward forces applied to the cables are sufficiently large to cause the plug housing to retreat away from the receptacle connector and decouple the optical fibers from the receptacle connector.
Thus, a need exists for optical fiber connectors that provide increased tolerances in the mating of the connectors to avoid damaging the fiber optic cables in the connectors. A need also exists for optical fiber connectors that prevent decoupling of the optical fibers from a connector that mates with the optical fiber connectors when a rearward force is applied to the cable that holds the optical fibers.